The Metamorphoses

The Golden Ass

In the vast and silent library of antiquity, where countless works have turned to dust, a singular voice endures, vibrant and mischievous. That voice belongs to Lucius, the insatiably curious protagonist of The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, a work more commonly known as The Golden Ass. This novel stands as a remarkable artifact—the only complete ancient Roman novel in Latin to have survived the ravages of time, where similar works, like Petronius’s Satyricon, exist only in tantalizing fragments. This scarcity makes Apuleius’s work an invaluable window into the literary and cultural life of the Roman Empire, offering a unique glimpse into the popular tastes and philosophical currents of its time. It is a work that both entertains and instructs, weaving together the seemingly disparate threads of folk tales, philosophical inquiry, and religious devotion into a cohesive and unforgettable narrative. The novel’s enduring appeal lies in its audacious blend of genres, effortlessly transitioning from the salacious to the sacred, from slapstick farce to profound spiritual quest. It is a testament to Apuleius’s genius that he could craft a narrative so rich in both lowbrow humor and high-minded theology, a true reflection of the multifaceted world in which it was born.

The Flawed AI Sold Me on the Work

I enjoyed this AI voiced version enough to conclude I wanted to hear the whole work & pay for the Kenney translation to do so.

The AI did better than I expected. It included glitches you'd expect from a machine, some poor emphasis & pronunciation, interrupted the narrative by reciting every page number, and at least once apparently skipped over a section of the book - suddenly switching the tale being told. But I listened to & enjoyed almost half.

This edition does not even identify the translator of this version. A Google search will tell you the Kenney is preferable to the dated & literal translation by Bohn - unless you're also reading the Latin - in which case a literal translation is useful.